What to know about Appalachian State, Troy football's opponent in Sun Belt Championship
Troy football is hosting the Sun Belt Championship game for the second consecutive year, and this season, the Trojans will host Appalachian State. Saturday's game kicks off at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to host the conference championship against a really quality football team in App State," Troy head coach Jon Sumrall said Monday. "They're playing, I think, their best football of the year the last four or five weeks. It looks like a different team the last month or so."
Here's what you need to know before Saturday's conference title game:
Fast facts
Nickname: Mountaineers
Regular season record: 8-4
Sun Belt record: 6-2
Sun Belt championships: Five (2016, '17, '18, '19, '21)
Program record against Troy: 8-3
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This season
App State enters the championship game with one of the top ball-hawking defenses in the Sun Belt. While the Mountaineers are middle of the pack in terms of yards and points allowed, they've forced more turnovers and negative plays than any other SBC team.
"They're playing really good defensively," Sumrall said. "They're getting people to turn the ball over and create negative plays at the line of scrimmage."
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The App State offense has been led by the connection between junior quarterback Joey Aguilar and junior receiver Kaedin Robinson, who lead the Sun Belt in passing and receiving touchdowns, respectively.
"Their quarterback is dynamic," Sumrall said. "Their receivers, that group is really deep. Their entire offense is capable."
Program history
The Mountaineers are perhaps most well-known for their time in the FCS. From 2005-07, the school won three consecutive FCS national championships. Appalachian State's most famous moment came in that 2007 season, although it was in Week 1: the Mountaineers upset Michigan on the road for arguably the biggest upset in the history of college football.
Appalachian State and Troy have met 11 times heading into Saturday, with eight of those coming since the Mountaineers moved to the Sun Belt — and the FBS — in 2014. The Trojans carry a 1-7 record in those games, losing five straight since defeating App State in 2016. Interestingly enough, the two schools have met in the postseason before — in the 2000 Division 1-AA playoffs, when the Mountaineers defended home field.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: What to know about App State, Troy football's opponent in SBC title
